Manure-spreader.



'Nol 884,515.- Y y PATENTBD APR.1V4, 190s.

YB. E. MILLER. Y

MANUR'B SPREADER. PPL'IUATION FILED` JAN. 14. 190,7.

z SHEETS-SHEET v1.

Eli-P l WLM/Wowo- I I l Miner' 'attorneys No. 834,515. PA-TBNTED APR.14, 1903.

A B. E. MILLER.y

MANURE SPRBADER.-

PPLIUATION FILED JAN. 14, 1907.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BEMiuef TMs Hamel: PETERS ca.. wAsHINawN. D. c,

BERTIE E. MILLER, OF BRANDON, IOWA.

MANURE-SPREADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application filed January 14, 1907. Serial No. 352,156.

To all Awhom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, BER'rIE E. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brandon, in the county of Buchanan and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Manure-S readers; and Ido declare the following to e a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to manure spreaders.

The object of the invention is to improve,

. sim lify and render thoroughly efficient the ins' mec anism foractuating the apron, and, further, to improve the lifting means for theend oate.

C With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts of a manure spreader, as will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like characters of reference indicate correspondparta-Figure 1is a view in side elevation of a manure spreader embodying the featuresof the present invention with the rear wheel removed to display themechanism for driving the spreading cylinder Fig'. 2 is a similar view,of a portion of a'spreader, taken from the opposite side from that shownin Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an end view looking toward the front of thespreader.

The body l of the machine may be of the usual or any preferredconstruction, and therefore needs no detail descri tion.

The rear axle 2 is revolub e and has a clutch member 3 fixed thereonthat is designed to be engaged by a second clutch member 4 s lined onthe axle and shiftable lon itudinally thereof by any preferred form of sifting mechanism. A sprocket wheel 5 is rigidly secured to a shaft 11supported at the rear of the axle 2 in any suitable manner on themachine body. This sprocket wheel 5 is engaged by a sprocket chain 6which passes to and around a sprocket wheel 7 carried by the spreadercylinder shaft 8, said cylinder being of the usual or any preferredconstruction. The shifting mechanism for the clutch member 4 is hereshown in the form of an L- shaped outstanding shifting lever or rod 40,the long arm of which is mountediinlvertically spaced keepers as 41 onthe body of the machine and the free end of the short arm 42 has alateral finger 43 which operates in an annular groove 4 in the clutchmember 4. The u per free end of the long outstanding arm oi the rod 4()has a crank arm which is pivotally connected with a longitudinallyarranged o erating rod 44 connected to the lower enc of a lever 38. Solong as the clutch is unlocked, all of the operating mechanisms of themachine will remain at rest, but as soon as the clutch is locked, saidmechanism will at once be actuated, as will be readily understood. Fixedto the clutch member 4 is a master-gear 9 that meshes with a gear 10carried near one end of the shaft 11, the other end of which carries adisk 11u. The disk has connected with it one end of a pitman rod 12, theother end of which con'- nects with a slide 13 mounted on the long arm14 of an L-lever 15 pivoted at its bend to the machine body. The shortarm 16 of the lever is pivotally connected with an extension 17 at oneend of a yoke 18, the other end of which is provided with a similarextension 19 that works in a guide or keeper 20 secured to the machinebody.

The yoke is approximately a hollow rectangle in form, and its opposed,longitudinal members carry oppositely-operating spring pressed pawls 21that are designed to engage a ratchet wheel 22 carried by a shaft 23that supports the rear portion of the endless apron 24, the frontportion of which is supported in the usual or any preferred manner. Whenthe disk 11a is revolved, vibratory motions are imparted to the lever,causing it to reciprocate the yoke and the latter, through the pawls 21,to revolve the ratchet 22 and thus move the apron 24 in a step-bystepmanner, thus feeding' the manure to the spreader cylinder, which may beof any preferred construction and which distributes it in the usual way,In order to vary the throw o f the lever and thus the feed of themanure, the slide 13 has connected with it one end of a rod or wire 25,the other end of which connects with a lever 26 that, as usual, isarranged at the front of the machinekand within easy reach of theoperator. By shifting the slide, the operator can readily controlthekamount of manure spread.

Another feature resides in a novel arrangement of mechanism for raisingand lowering the end gate 27 to permit or prevent the discharge ofmanure. The end gate consists, generally, of approximately segmentalends 28 and a cover 29 secured thereto, the ends being suitably pivotedto the side of the machine body. Secured to the cover are two straps oreyes 30, with which are connected the lower ends of a pair of levers 31,the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to a second pair oflevers 32 carried by a rock shaft 33 supported by brackets 34 secured toextensions 35 on the sides of the machine body. To the depending arm 36of the rock shaft-is connected one end of a rod or wire 37, the otherend of which is connected with the clutch operating lever 3S. By'thisarrangement, when the clutch is locked, the end gate is raised and thuspermits the escape of manure, but as soon as the clutch is unlocked, thegate is lowered and passes around the rear end of the apron and thusprevents the escape of the manure.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that a simple andthoroughly effective form of mechanism is provided both for effectingmovement ofthe apron and also to control the amount of manure fed, andfurther that eifective means is employed for securing in one o erationthe locking and unlocking of the c utch that. controls the actuatingmechanism of the apron, and also the raising and lowering of the endgate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a manure spreader, the combination with a body member mounted onground wheels, an endless apron carried by said body, actuatingmechanism for said apron, a spreading cylinder arranged adjacent to saidapron and operated by means connected with the apron actuatingmechanism, an end gate movable over said cylinder to open and close themanure supply, a rock shaft mounted in brackets carried by said body andhaving a crank arm, a lever carried by the rock shaft and connected withsaid end gate, an operating lever fulcrumed to said body, and spacedrods connected with said lever above said fulcrum, one of said rodsbeing connected at its free end with the crank arm of said rock shaftandthe other rod connected with the actuating mechanism for the apron,whereby said actuating mechanism and end gate are operatedsimultaneously on the throw of the lever in either direction.

2. In a manure spreader, the combination with a body member mounted onground wheels and having a guide or keeper on one side thereof, a clutchmountedon one axle, a master gear carried by the movable clutch member,a shift lever connected with said movable clutch member, a shaft mountedadjacent to and parallel -with said axle and having a pinion meshingwith said master gear wheel, a disk fixed on said shaft, an endlessapron carried by said body, a ratchet wheel carried by the apron shaft,a hollow approximately rectangular yoke having an extension at one endslidable in the keeper on 'said body, an L-shaped lever fulcrumed tosaid body and having one arm connected at its free end with the otherarm of said yoke, oppositely disposed spring -pressed pawls carried bysaid yoke and engaging the ratchet on the apron shaft, a slide mountedon the free arm of'said L-shaped lever, a pitman eccentrically connectedat one end to said shaft-carried disk and at its other end to saidslide, and means under the control of the driver for` shifting saidslide and varying the throw of the lever connected with the yoke and thefeed of the manure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence' of twosubscribing Witnesses.

B. E. MILLER.

Witnesses:

W. E. MILLER, A. VANsKIKE.

